Worst Mass Shooting in US History: 50 Dead

美國史上最慘重的群眾射殺事件，50人身亡

President Barack Obama has ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff in memory of the victims of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

       美國總統巴拉克‧歐巴馬下令降半旗，用以悼念此美國歷史上最慘重的群眾射殺事件的受害者。

[註：本新聞標題於 Voice of America (VOA) 網站上已更新為 "Candlelight Vigils Across the Country for Orlando Shooting Victims"（美國各地燃起點點燭光，齊為奧蘭多槍擊事件受害者祝禱）。]

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Worst Mass Shooting in US History: 50 Dead
VOA News
Last updated on: June 12, 2016 8:19 PM (source) 

Worst Mass Shooting in US History: 50 Dead

美國史上最慘重的群眾射殺事件，50人身亡

VOA News
June 12, 2016 8:19 PM

President Barack Obama has ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff in memory of the victims of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

A gunman killed 50 people and wounded 53 others inside a nightclub with a primarily gay clientele in Orlando, Florida, early Sunday.

Obama declared it an act of terrorism and said the FBI is leading the investigation. He said no effort will be spared to find out what inspired the killer or if he had any links to terrorist groups.

The president again said it is easy for someone to get his hands on a weapon to shoot people in schools, churches, movie theaters and nightclubs.

"We have to decide if that's the kind of country we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well."

He said the murders unite Americans in "grief and outrage."

"This is a sobering reminder that attacks on any American – regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation – is an attack on all of us and on the fundamental values of equality and dignity that define us as a country," a grim Obama said in a White House statement Sunday morning.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson have both canceled trips to Beijing for cybersecurity talks with Chinese officials.

Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in Orange County, in which the city of Orlando is located.

The city is making public the names of the attack victims after their families have been notified. Orlando citizens lined up for blocks Sunday to give blood for the wounded.

In a particularly eerie scene, witnesses said they could hear cell phones, still attached to the victims' bodies, ringing unanswered from inside the nightclub, which is still an active crime scene. Sobbing relatives tell reporters on the scene they do not know if their family members are alive or dead.

The owner of the Pulse nightclub, Barbara Poma, issued a statement saying she is devastated, and calling her club a place of love and acceptance for the gay community.

The FBI has identified the shooter as 29-year-old Omar Saddiqui Mateen -- an American born to Afghan parents.

Police said he opened fire inside the Pulse nightclub in downtown Orlando with an automatic assault weapon that can spray numerous bullets in just seconds.

Witnesses who scurried from the massacre say the shots came even while the music played on and guests kept dancing.

Mateen traded gunfire with a police officer working extra hours at the club, then left the building and returned, holding a number of hostages for about three hours.

A police SWAT team stormed the club and killed Mateen in a shootout.

Some media reports said Mateen made 911 emergency phone calls during the rampage in which he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Ronald Hopper of the FBI said Mateen had what he calls minimal ties to an American suicide bomber. Agents investigated him three years ago for possible terrorist ties but could not verify the allegations and closed their probe.

Pope Francis has expressed his “deepest feelings of horror and condemnation” over the Orlando massacre.

The founder of Make Space, an Islamic Center near Washington, DC, told the VOA Afghanistan service "shooting innocent humans is a cowardly act that every Muslim and every human being should condemn."

The Orlando Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a statement, "We condemn this monstrous attack and offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of all those killed or injured. The Muslim community joins our fellow Americans in repudiating anyone or any group that would claim to justify or excuse such an appalling act of violence."

Organizers of the Tony Awards, which salutes the best plays and musicals on Broadway, are dedicating Sunday night's ceremonies to the Orlando victims.

On the gay club's Facebook page, a post around 2 a.m. gave early indication of the tragedy that was unfolding.

"Everyone get out of pulse," a page administrator wrote, "and keep running."

Why the club was targeted remains unclear. The shooting comes as many cities around the world celebrate June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual (LGBT) Pride Month.

The Pulse nightclub incident follows another shooting in Orlando by a day.

Singer Christina Grimmie, a 22-year-old YouTube star and one-time contestant of the TV talent show "The Voice," was fatally shot by a man outside her concert late Friday.

美國總統巴拉克‧歐巴馬下令降半旗(flags to be flown at half-staff)，用以悼念此美國歷史上最慘重的群眾射殺事件的受害者。

一名槍手於週日凌晨在佛羅里達州奧蘭多市一間以同志為主要客群(clientele)的夜店射殺了50人，並使53人受傷。

歐巴馬宣布這起事件為恐怖主義行為，並表示聯邦調查局正開始主導調查，將不遺餘力(no effort will be spared)找出煽動殺手的原因，還有他是否與恐怖組織有任何關聯。

歐巴馬也再次表示，由於個人可輕易取得武器，因此學校、教堂、電影院和夜店等場所的群眾都可能受到槍擊。

「對於這是否是我們想要的國家，我們必須做出決定。而放手什麼都不做，這也是一種決定。」

他同時表示，這些兇殺案件會讓美國人民在「悲傷與憤怒」中團結起來。

在週日早晨於白宮發表聲明時，歐巴馬神情肅穆(grim)地表示：「這是一個儆醒(sobering reminder)，對任何一名美國人的攻擊──無論(regardless of)其種族、族裔、宗教或性傾向──都等同於是對全體美國人的攻擊，也是對『平等』與『尊嚴』這兩個界定美國基本價值的攻擊。」

司法部長(Attorney General)洛麗泰‧林奇(Loretta Lynch)和國土安全部部長傑‧強森(Jeh Johnson)皆取消了原定飛往北京與中國官員進行網路安全會談的行程。

佛羅里達州州長瑞克‧史考特(Rick Scott)宣布奧蘭多市所屬的橘郡(Orange County)進入緊急狀態(a state of emergency)。

市府在通知受難者家屬之後，對外公開了(make public…)攻擊事件中受難者的名字。（案發的）週日當天奧蘭多市民排起了逾數個街區的隊伍，為傷者捐血。

目擊者提起了特別恐怖的(errie)一幕：在犯罪進行的現場，他們仍能聽到還在受害者身上的手機響起，從夜店裡傳來無人接聽的手機鈴聲。啜泣的親屬們告訴現場的記者，他們不知道親人現在是死是活。

夜店「脈動(Pulse)」的老闆芭芭拉‧波馬(Barbara Poma)發出一份聲明表示，她深受打擊(devastated)，並指出她的店是一個以愛與接納對待同志社群的場所。

聯邦調查局(FBI)已確認槍手是29歲的美國人，奧馬爾‧薩迪奇‧馬汀(Omar Saddiqui Mateen)，其雙親為阿富汗人。

警方表示，他（即槍手馬汀）在奧蘭多市中心的「脈動」夜店開槍(open fire)時，使用的是幾秒鐘內能掃射多枚子彈(spray numerous bullets)的自動攻擊武器。

從大屠殺(massacre)現場匆忙逃出(scurry form…)的目擊者表示，當音樂仍在播放中而舞客持續熱舞的時候，瞬間槍聲四起。

馬汀曾與在夜店中加班值勤的警員駁火(trade gunfire)，他離開後又重返現場，並挾者了多名人質，時間持續約三個小時。

警方的特警隊(SWAT)衝進俱樂部，並於槍戰(shootout)中將馬汀擊斃。（編按：SWAT縮寫自Special Weapons And Tactics，即「特種武器和戰術」。）

部分媒體的報導指稱，在一陣狂亂暴行(rampage)中，馬汀曾撥打緊急救難電話，並在電話中宣稱效忠(pledge allegiance to…)伊斯蘭國組織(Islamic State，常見簡寫為 “IS”)。

聯邦調查局的羅納德‧霍珀(Ronald Hopper)表示，此案兇手馬汀與另一名美國的自殺炸彈客(suicide bomber)兩者之間存在著他所謂的極為微小的關聯。調查局幹員在三年前曾調查過他（馬汀）與恐怖組織的可能連結，但因無法證實(verify)這些指控(allegation)而結束了偵查(probe)。

教宗方濟各(Pope Francis)對此奧蘭多屠殺事件表達了他「最深的震驚與譴責」。

華盛頓特區附近的一個伊斯蘭教中心「創建宇宙 (Make Space)」的創始人告訴美國之音(VOA)的阿富汗新聞部說：「射殺無辜的人民是每位穆斯林與所有人都應該譴責的懦夫行為(a cowardly act)。」

奧蘭多市的美國與伊斯蘭關係委員會(CAIR)在一份聲明中表示：「我們譴責這一駭人聽聞、殘暴的(monstrous)攻擊事件，並對此事件中所有罹難者與傷者的家屬與親友們致上我們由衷的哀悼與慰問(heartfelt condolences)。穆斯林社群與美國的同胞們站在一起，一同駁斥(repudiate)任何想替此駭人暴行合理化或開脫的說詞與團體。」

表揚(salute)百老匯最佳戲劇和音樂劇的東尼獎(Tony Awards)的主辦單位也決定將週日晚間的典禮獻給奧蘭多市的受害者。

在這間同志夜店的臉書上，一則大約半夜兩點的貼文最早透露了這個悲劇的展開。

一名頁面管理員寫著：「所有人快離開『脈動』，快跑。」

目前尚不清楚為何此夜店成為攻擊目標。但發生此槍擊事件的六月，正是全世界許多城市都在慶祝的女同志、男同志、雙性戀、變性者(LGBT)的「自豪月」。

「脈動」夜店的槍擊事件與奧蘭多市的另一起槍擊事件僅隔了一天。

22歲的歌手克里斯汀娜‧葛密(Christina Grimmie)是YouTube上的名人，也曾一度是美國選秀節目「好聲音 (The Voice)」的選手(contestant)，她在週五晚間的音樂會會場外被一名男子射擊身亡(be fatally shot)。